The Go Bag

[bayonetbrant]

fair 'nuff.  you're on your own then

[bayonetbrant]

some detailed thoughts about what to carry

http://graywolfsurvival.com/66545/how-to-build-ultimate-25-pound-bug-bag/

[LongBlade]

some detailed thoughts about what to carry

http://graywolfsurvival.com/66545/how-to-build-ultimate-25-pound-bug-bag/

Did ya ever notice that these go bags are made for loners?

I have yet to see one packed for a family, or to share.

[bayonetbrant]

I think there's the underlying assumption that anyone you take with you will have their own bags, so no expectation of sharing with the ones you're traveling with, and limiting willingness to share on the road.

[LongBlade]

I'm not sure that's a good assumption.

[bayonetbrant]

Variation on a theme - the "blessing bag" to keep in your car and hand out to the occasional homeless person
(found this on FaceBook)

INGREDIENTS:
Gallon size Ziplock bags
chap stick
packages of tissues
toothbrush and toothpaste
comb
soap
hotel size shampoos
trail mix
granola bars
crackers
pack of gum
band aids
mouthwash
coins or predetermined dollar amount, say 5.00 (could be used to make a phone call, or purchase a food item)
hand wipes
you could also put in a warm pair of socks
a packet rain poncho
tampons (for women)
The ideas could be endless!
Assemble all the items in the bags, and maybe throw in a note of encouragement. Seal the bags and stow in your car for a moment of providence.

[LongBlade]

Variation on a theme - the "blessing bag" to keep in your car and hand out to the occasional homeless person
(found this on FaceBook)

INGREDIENTS:
Gallon size Ziplock bags
chap stick
packages of tissues
toothbrush and toothpaste
comb
soap
hotel size shampoos
trail mix
granola bars
crackers
pack of gum
band aids
mouthwash
coins or predetermined dollar amount, say 5.00 (could be used to make a phone call, or purchase a food item)
hand wipes
you could also put in a warm pair of socks
a packet rain poncho
tampons (for women)
The ideas could be endless!
Assemble all the items in the bags, and maybe throw in a note of encouragement. Seal the bags and stow in your car for a moment of providence.

That's a cool idea.

Thanks!

[Hot lead and dirty talk!]

I think there's the underlying assumption that anyone you take with you will have their own bags, so no expectation of sharing with the ones you're traveling with, and limiting willingness to share on the road.

I was assuming they figured you didn't have any friends or a woman if you keep a 'survival' bag at the ready. Wonder why I thought that?  8)

[LongBlade]

I think there's the underlying assumption that anyone you take with you will have their own bags, so no expectation of sharing with the ones you're traveling with, and limiting willingness to share on the road.

I was assuming they figured you didn't have any friends or a woman if you keep a 'survival' bag at the ready.

It's probably safe to assume that if you build a go-bag just for yourself then you probably don't.

It's also curious that, as far as I can remember, none of these go-bags has an allowance for first aid. Apparently in a bug out situation nobody is or will be hurt.

Further, I live with three women. (Ok, a wife and two daughters, but the point still stands). Women are different from men in a few respects.

Think about it.

[GDS_Starfury]

tampons are good for a lot of things.

[GDS_Starfury]

^^^  a serious comment. 

[mirth]

don't elaborate

please don't

[GDS_Starfury]

http://planet.infowars.com/preparedness/the-swiss-army-survival-tampon-10-survival-uses

[Martok]

don't elaborate

please don't

Not that horrifying, actually.  It was pretty easy to guess quite a few of the functions the article mentioned (and survival stuff ain't exactly my bailiwick). 

[bayonetbrant]

Did ya ever notice that these go bags are made for loners?
I have yet to see one packed for a family, or to share.

So, building off of this thought, I've been wondering "what's a minimum-level bag for you to hand off to someone?" if you needed/wanted to pack extras for the unknown traveler.

There are a few assumptions I'm using
-- this is not for a family member / permanent household occupant, as you would have plenty of time to pack/prepare a go-bag for that person well in advance
-- no idea if you're going to run into male/female, age/height/weight, etc
-- no major investments in gear/tools/equipment, under the assumption that this person might not choose to stay with you
-- as compact as possible so you don't lose too much of your own carry capacity for what is essentially designed as a 'giveaway'

Here we go...


The pack itself.  This is the one bigger expense.  You can do just string-bag style backpacks, but those don't hold up well if your recipient has to travel very long/far.  Instead, maybe think about a packable daypack like either of these:
--  Eagle Creek
--  Eddie Bauer
Either of these it's expensive at full price, but if you can find one at an outlet, or pick one up on a "$5 with purchase over..." deal, you can pick up a few of these along the way to prep later.  We have 3 of them from Eddie Bauer that are a similar make to this one, but not exact.  The key thing is, they all pack into their own pocket, which is great for (a) compactness, and (b) controlling the load you're going to pack into it.

The basics.  You can pack a truckload of simple, useful stuff for under $10, thanks to Target (or someone similar)
-- First Aid Kit - 97¢   (augment with a few safety pins and alcohol wipes)
-- Emergency Poncho - $1.99
-- Emergency Blanket - $1.99
-- Matches - dirt cheap if you just want a pack of matches, or if you want waterproof ones, these are $2.99 at my Target
-- Rope - Here's a $2.97 pack of paracord from Home Depot
so depending on what you spend on matches, that's $8-11 to put a decent set of starter contents in the bag.  Put them all in a 1-gallon ziplock freezer bag inside the stuffed/collapsed version of the backpack.

The extras.  Here are a handful of not-terribly-expensive add-ons you could easily include depending on your budget and your tolerance for giving stuff away.
-- Gloves.  Work gloves are best, since they double as hand-warmers without the low-wearout-tollerance of nicer cold-weather gloves.  You can get a multi-pack at Home Depot for $7.88
-- Knife.  Target has a $10 folder from Gerber.  Spend much less than that and you've got a piece of crap knife, so you may not want to pack a knife just to give away to someone else.  You can also get a big-ass knife for $8.99 at Harbor Freight.
-- Light.  These little flashlights are only $1.99 for a pack at Harbor Freight, but if you watch their coupons, you can get one for free.  If you can find a light with a built-in strobe action, even better.
-- Collapsible water bottle.  Here's a cheap one from REI, but you can find seasonal sales at places like Target where you can get them as low as $1.99.
-- Socks.  Don't try to match size.  Just get a decent pair of work socks in a multi-pack and call it good.  Men's medium size will fit almost anyone between 4'10" and 6'4".

So the bag itself is the tough part, but if you can stock up on some give-away bags or dirt-cheap sale bags, you can slowly accumulate 3-5 of them, and then spend a weekend blowing $30 to stock up all of them.  Keep 1/car and maybe 1-2 with your current go-bag.  You'll always have something to hand off in an emergency to someone else, without over-taxing yourself.